Long-term effects of prenatal stress and handling on metabolic parameters: Relationship to corticosterone secretion response
Brain Research. 1996-03-01; 712(2): 287-292
DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(95)01459-4
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Vallée M(1), Mayo W, Maccari S, Le Moal M, Simon H.
Author information:
(1)INSERM U. 259, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
The prenatal and postnatal environment exerts a long-term influence on the
stress-response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this study,
the long-term effects of prenatal and postnatal manipulations and their related
changes on glucocorticoid secretion were examined on metabolic parameters in
adult rats. Plasma glucose levels, body weight and basal feeding behavior were
measured. We show that modifications of the prenatal and postnatal environment
have opposite long-term effects on these parameters, except for blood glucose,
which was increased in prenatally stressed animals. Although the mechanisms
underlying these phenomena remain to be elucidated, the observations show that
perinatal manipulations have long-term effects on metabolic functions related to
HPA activity.